Memoirs of a GenderConfused Twin
by NarutoAngel
Summary: A companion piece to TKA. Kyoko has always been known to do crazy things. The craziest? Adopting the orphaned boy that works for her cousin's petshop. PetShopOfHorrors/KHII/Naruto
1. Kyoko

**Disclaimer: I don't own Petshop, Naruto, or KHII. **

**A/N: Another story. I realized that there is too much going on in TKA that it wouldn't fit in just Naruto's story so I added another character's side to it. Besides, what is a Pasé without its partner? Enjoy everyone and tell me if you have any pairings you would like to add. Cause this one is all fan service!**

**Kyoko**

The bells rang as the door swung open. In ran a person too pretty to be a guy, yet dressed in the suit of one.

Count M stared from his tea set and let out a smile. He lifted his cup and tilted it in acknowledgement. "Good afternoon, Mr. Hiro."

"'Sup Count. How's it been?" said the newcomer in a feminine voice. "You have my clothes in the same place?"

"As always."

"Good. Gotta change before the asshole comes. Knowing him, he'll come three hours early just to catch me off guard." Taking off the garments, the newcomer revealed to be female after all, with a strap on that compressed her breasts. She changed without modesty, for even though the Count was a man, there was no attraction between them. They were cousins after all.

"Ah! Today is the day Miss Naminé's and Miss Kairi's eldest brother come to America, isn't it? I wonder if he is like young Strife," wondered the count.

"That idiot? Nah, you've never met this one, Count. He's the king of assholes and his daddy's favorite. I knew him since I was a kid, before we left to America." Tying the ribbons of her shirt, the woman pulled on a flashy gray skirt. She finished by pulling on black heels and stood, twirling into a pose. "And so, Hiro becomes Kyoko. So, does this look pleasant?"

Count M took a good look at her and made a face. "I prefer you in slacks."

Kyoko laughed. "Me too but I promised Ji-ji. So are you coming?" she asked.

He took a look around the shop in compensation and thought. Finally, he gave a nod and place the cup on its plate. "It's been slow today and my assistant is at school. Perhaps I will. Besides, I have much to tell Grandfather."

"Yay!" Kyoko cheered and grabbed her cousin's hands, taking him into a spin. "Thank you! Thank you! Now I don't have to face him alone! But wait. When did you get an assistant?"

"For three weeks now," answered the count. "He's the only one who managed to see the article I put. He might be the one that Grandfather is looking for."

"Really?" The woman looked thoughtful, staring towards the hallways of the back, where many of the animals her cousin sold appeared from the hallways, all of them grinning and waving hello. She smiled. "That's awesome."

………………………………...

The drive to the Jenova Enterprise building was fast since the district it stood in was not far from Chinatown. The two reminisced on the past weeks and the count told Kyoko of his latest sale.

"I've sold the shark we found to the heir of the Klein company. I'd give it a week or so before the contract is terminated," he said.

"Is that wise?" Kyoko asked. "Didn't you have a detective looking on you? How will you hide this incident?"

"I'll think of something," the count replied. "Besides, I've finally found my Dai Yoko."

"Your assistant is the Dai Yoko?" Kyoko exclaimed. "Jeeze, I need to visit more often. Otherwise, I might die of a heart attack from all the surprises you've been giving me."

"What about you?" Count M inquired with the quirking an eyebrow.

"Hmm?"

"It's been whispered around that you and Strife are an item and that a certain diva is after your guts for it. Do be careful, though, dear cousin. After all, even with my Dai Yoko I still need your tohsu." (**A/N: Tohsu are elemental powers or manifestation of it. It depends whether the power is pure or not. Kyoko has the most pure. I'll explain more in later chapters - NA)**

"That's all? Here I was thinking you were warning me out of love for your dear cousin," she lamented, covering her heart. "I'm wounded by it. Besides, you don't need to worry much about it. Tifa is jealous but she's too scared of me to do anything. And Cloud has already straighten it out that we merely live together, nothing else. Though, I am planning to move out soon."

"Tell me when you do. I'll sent some of your friends over to help out with your things," offered the count.

"That'll be wonderful."

The car stopped and Iruka, Kyoko's personal chauffer, opened the back doors for her and her cousin. He was a kind, dark skinned young Japanese man with a large scar across his nose. He bowed to the two of them and whispered a "Good luck" to Kyoko.

She winked at him. "Not to worry, Iruka. I promise to leave everything intact."

"I'll hold her to it," assured the count.

"Please do, Count M," the chauffer said and tipped his hat and went inside, driving the car to a better parking space where he will wait until the meeting was over.

The two went inside the lobby, past the rushing workers of the building and into the elevator. Kyoko pressed the last button, on floor level 17 where the board meetings were usually held. Today, however, it will hold the meetings between the Jenova family and the Konoha family, welcoming the Jenova heir to America.

The doors opened and the two came out. A pretty young secretary awaited them to escort the two inside. The board meeting room was huge, built to hold as many as forty people. A large round table stood in the middle with twice a dozen chairs for the family to sit on. Almost all the chairs on the Jenova's side had been filled while many were empty on the Konoha's.

Both M and Kyoko went towards the old man who sat in the head seat, looking grave and irritated.

"Ji-ji!" Kyoko cried gleefully, rushing over to hug her grandfather.

"It's been awhile, Grandfather," greeted M, taking a deep bow to his patron.

"Kyoko! And Marluxia! So good for you two to come," the original Count greeted his grandchildren. "How's the shop getting along? I trust all is in order."

M smiled. "As it was when you managed it," he replied courteously.

"Ji-ji, why do you look so old?" Kyoko whispered in his ear.

The man chuckled. "You know that I'm not really here, sweetie. I can not skip this meeting like you usually would, for we desperately need the Jenova's family friendship in order to survive in the human's world. For now. I shall use this visage to not further arouse their suspicions and continue on my search at the same time, gather that I don't run into trouble."

"Can you stay longer, Grandfather? After the meeting? I have something interesting to share with you," M asked.

"Let us see to his meeting first, my grandson."

Just then, the doors opened to admit the late comers, most of which sat on the Konoha's side. They past the two without glances, contempt in their still persons. Kyoko and the cunt sat down on either side of their grandfather, as their respective position required. Grandfather, however, stood and greeted the newcomers : the head of the Jenova family, Professor Hojo and his two sons, Cloud and the newly arrived Sephiroth.

Dropping her chin within her curled hands, face around drawn with boredom, Kyoko muttered, "Well, well. If it isn't the demon spawn come to kill us all."

Count M visibly elbowed her in the ribs behind their Grandfather's back, keeping a happy front for the men watching.

The "spawn" mentioned was different than what she remembered actually; sure, he still had the long abnormally colored hair and those pretty emerald eyes. But the way he had matured was like a fine wine; a specimen of perfection.

Damn him. As if Cloud wasn't enough, now she had to watch her back from all the fan girls that would soon be jumping her. She had lost count of the women who went so far to harass the eccentric family friend just to get a date with Cloud.

'_And if that wasn't bad enough, I couldn't get a single date from any of those pretty girls,' _Kyoko mourned. _'Such is the woe of being a bisexual in a corporate world.'_

"Sephiroth, I want you to meet my grandchildren. I know you've met them already in your youth but you'll be surprised at how much they've changed. Marluxia has even succeeded me as count," Grandfather said, gesturing to the two of them.

On cue, they stood and M bowed while Kyoko curtsied as the well behaved grandchildren they were (NOT!). Sephiroth shook hands with M and nodded his head at Kyoko, who in return gave him a cold, hateful smile.

They took their places again, sat down, and the meeting began.

Already bored, Kyoko took out a Cubix cube and began working on it, her concentration droning out the nasal voice of the professor and fake old voice of her grandfather. Really, it hurt her to see him like this, hiding his beautiful form because of these ignorant humans they were forced to make friendship with. Sadly, it had to be done for they needed the strongest family in the world, the Jenovas, if they were to survive in this rapidly growing industrial world.

Three hours latter, they were alone in a separate room, Kyoko, Count M, and their Grandfather. Kyoko locked the door, still intent on solving the Cubix when smooth hands covered her own. She looked up and nearly screamed for joy at the restored beauty of her grandfather. Similar in appearance to Marluxia, he was however more masculine and his hair was long and black. He was surely a godly being as their kind once was.

"Thank you, Kyoko, for keeping your rudeness to a minimum," he said in a soft, musical voice.

"Not at all. You know I would do anything for you, Ji-ji," she said, rubbing her cheek against his.

Patting her hand fondly, Grandfather turned to his second and last surviving grandchild. "Well, Marluxia?" he inquired. "What was it you had to say to me?"

The pink haired count smiled with obvious glee. "Grandfather, I found not only a Dai Yoko, but possibly a Pasé," he relayed to his grandfather.

His dark eyes widened with delight and surprise. "Who is it? Where did you find someone of such sacred lineage?"

"My assistant, Naruto Uzumaki. He was one of the few who say my ad in the paper and the only one who was not swayed by my incense. And just recently, he had overcome Malice Alice and stopped her from annihilating every human within her master's home."

This brought an impressed look upon the other's face, for one knew the bloody prowess of the monstrous bird when she is in a good mood.

"Perhaps I should meet this young man, see him for my self. You understand if I am still skeptical about this, don't you, Marluxia?"

M nodded. "Of course. Claiming to find a Pasé, even having one so close, is nothing short of a happy turn of events. When shall you come, Grandfather?"

"As soon as I am able. You'll know when I arrive, correct?" he asked of Kyoko, who had stayed silent during their conversation. She nodded and he continued. "I must take my leave now, my beloved grandchildren. Projecting this form across the oceans taxes even me."

"Of course, Grandfather.

Kyoko gave one last hug. "Come back quickly, Ji-ji," she said against his chest. "I'll be waiting."

Drawing her close, the former Count smiled. "I know you will."

………………………..

The ride back to the shop was quiet, almost mournful. But of course. The loss of their patron, even if temporarily, was still a great tall on their souls. Their kind had always been close-knit. To be separated from a loved one as long as they have…. It was heart wrenching, but bearable.

"You don't have to wait for us, Iruka," Kyoko told the chauffer before exiting the car. "I'm going to stay over tonight."

Iruka nodded in understanding. "I'll be here in the morning, then," he said and she waved as he drove off. She turned and saw Count M watching her sadly.

"It hurts me so to see you like this," he whispered, holding her close. For a moment, his eyes turned black before reverting back to blue. "I still cant comprehend why only you are affected so strongly."

"That's because Hiro still lives within me, so I feel double the pain. This part of himself that he gave me at our birth thrives inside my body, even after his death. That is why I am neither man nor woman." Kyoko drew away from her cousin's embrace and went inside the petshop.

"Dama!" the baby animals cried, shouting the ancient word for beloved. **(A/N: Not really. I made that up.)**

"Hello everyone," Kyoko greeted, swooping a puppy into her arms. "Want to finish where we left off?" she asked the others.

"Yeah!" The babies ran to the back room, while the older animals either laughed or shook their heads in annoyance.

"Kyoko." She turned slightly at the sound of the count's sudden serious voice. "Don't lose yourself to mortality," he warned. "Otherwise, your tohsu will fade."

She grinned at him. "Don't worry, cousin," she assured him. "I have no intention of becoming human."

**A/N: So far, this has been an interesting story to write. I created this side mainly because of the new series of Petshop of Horrors in Tokyo and I saw a chapter page that showed D with a few others that looked like him. I think there was even a little kid. When I saw that, I couldn't help but created Kyoko. Oh, and the original Count is a Naruto character. Just a little hint: he appeared in the Zabuza saga. If that wasn't enough, until next time! **


	2. Kisame

**Disclaimer: Do not own Naruto, PetShopOfHorrors, or KH2.**

**A/N: This starts off as Hiro, the second personality Kyoko assumes in the memory of her twin brother.**

**Kisame**

Hiro gave a big yawn, staring wearily at the screen. _'Damn! Those puppies were hard to beat,' _he thought and laid his head on the desk, intent on a nap.

"Kyoko! Don't you dare go to sleep on the job!"

Sitting up, Hiro glanced at his superior. "Ahem!" he coughed, pointing at his flat chest.

"Oh. Sorry. I forgot you're Hiro today," apologized Larxene, the blonde leggy supervisor in charge of Accounting.

"Not to worry. But if you're really sorry, how about going on a date with me?" asked the feminine man, wagging his eyebrows suggestively. Only to be smacked by Larxene's clipboard.

"There is no office dating!" she scolded. "Besides, I want to go out with a man that'll actually stay a man the next day, with the parts included."

"That can be arranged you know," Hiro offered sincerely. "I'm mean, for a sweet woman like you, there'll be nothing I wont do."

He nearly laughed. Never have he seen his tough-as-nails boss turn so deep of a red. She growled at him and said, " I prefer you better as Kyoko."

"She doesn't work until Friday. Except for Thursday, you're stuck with me, sweetheart." He gave her his best smile.

Larxene huffed at him and walked away. Hiro immediately placed his head back on the desk. Ahh, now for the sweet bliss of sleep…

THWACK!

"Wake up, Hiro!"

…………………..

"Ugh! Larxene can be such a slave driver," Hiro yawned as he slowly made his way to the front door.

"But she has a point," her chauffer, Iruka, said, walking behind him with the briefcase. "You come to work to work, not to sleep."

"Shaddaup, Iruka and just let me have my healthy dose of complaining please," he said sleepily and unlocked the front door to the house, opening it. Then closed it. Then opened it again. Then closed it again.

"Um, Hiro?" Iruka asked in concern, wondering why was his eccentric master acting so… eccentric? Well more than usual he meant.

"Iruka, tell me what you see?" the young man asked, opening the door wide.

"Um, movers?" the scarred man answered nervously, not liking that twitch in the boy's eye.

"So it's not a figment of an overactive mind that needs immediate attention from a doctor as soon as possible?"

"Uh, no. Mr. Jenova is just moving in. Didn't you… hear about that…?" Iruka trailed off, really scared now as an inner flame suddenly swallowed up his employer in a raging blaze.

"And when was this said?" Hiro demanded calmly while his body trembled visibly.

"During the meeting last night."

"AHHHH!" Hiro yelled, furiously rummaging in his pocket and pulling out the Rubix Cube. "Dammit! This is your fault!"

"Mr. Hiro? I don't think it's a good idea to yell at an inanimate object in public," Iruka suggested nervously, carefully pushing the raging young man into the house.

The Jenova house was located in the suburbs, a two story establishment with eight rooms, three bathrooms, a living room, the kitchen, the dining room, and a large downstairs study. All was décor in an old fashioned attire, the previous owners having been a frontier family about a hundred years ago. It was both warm and cozy for an erratic mind such as the one living it. But now it was changing for the worse.

"Come on, Kyoko. Surely it's not that bad," Sephiroth said, while examining the shelves of books. "As long as you stay out of my way, I'll stay out of yours."

"It's Hiro," he growled, "and right now, that's not the problem."

"Oh, and what is it then, _Hiro_?"

He stomped his way inside until they were nearly face to faced. "Do you know how dangerous this is gonna be?" At the no response or change in expression, Hiro nearly roared, "THEY'RE ALL GONNA COME BACK!!!"

"They?" Sephiroth repeated.

"Oh, don't act so innocent and pretend you don't know," he gritted his teeth. "Surely assholes like you know their worth in their looks. And don't say otherwise cause I know better! Even in grade school they were all over you guys! Ohhhh, just when it was finally quieting down." Taking on a look of horror, he began to mutter, "I can see it now. The stalkers, the pranksters, the wont-quitters, all surrounding me! Argh! Why me?!"

Someone pounded at the door, making Hiro jumped and gave a yelp. "No! they're here? I'm not home, got it?!" Without waiting for a reply, Hiro ran from the study and down the hall. He didn't stop until his bedroom door was slammed and locked forever. He even rushed to the windows and shut them, quivering in fear.

……………………

"That was a little immature and stupid of you, wouldn't you say? And let us mention also that hiding out here until 'the devilspan finds his own home' plan is not a good idea. Right now, all you're doing is running away and that is not going to make you strong, Kyoko."

"But why?" Kyoko moaned, momentarily stopping the façade she held. "And don't tell me it's because you don't have room cause I know you have _plenty _of room!"

"At the time being yes but that's not the point," M replied. "I don't even understand why you're so nervous around him, Kyoko. You didn't mind him when we were children."

"That was before a certain event that I have no intention of telling you," Hiro said. "So are you going to help me or not? I'm getting a bad feeling and I'm worried that it might affect the tohsu." She hadn't really wanted to play that card but right now she was desperate.

"Kyoko," M was sounding pretty exasperate by now, "a little crush is not going to affect the tohsu. You're really just overacting."

"IT IS NOT A CRUSH! THERE IS SOMETHING SERIOUSLY WRONG WITH ME-I MEAN THE TOHSU!!!" she yelled into the phone.

"Okay, okay. Tell you what. If you really feel that way, then go see the last Ancient. You know only she can purify your tohsu again, remember?" M stopped speaking for a moment, as if he was looking at something that seriously caught his attention. "Kyoko, I have to go. Go visit Aerith and calm down. Take care, cousin."

Kyoko threw the phone onto the bed in a huff. "Stupid M. Freaking joking son of a bitch! Crush, my ass!" But sadly, there was no choice. She picked up her bag and left her room, shuffling her feet all the way down the stairs.

However, she made sure there was no one around, not wanting to be caught by either of the devilspawn around. She opened the door wide and tried to make a run for it.

"OOF!"

"Hello to you too, Kyo."

"Don't call me that!" she growled and tried to untangle herself from the man on the floor beneath her. "And when did you leave? I thought you were already home."

"I was until three hours ago. There was an urgent matter at the company," Cloud replied.

Three hours ago? Then that meant that heavy knocking had been them, not a crazy stalker. How stupid did that make her feel.

"Whatever. Listen, I gotta go out for a while so tell Ms. T not to make me dinner. Well, make me something but make sure I can reheat it later. Kay?" She told him then walked past him, moving towards the side where her bike was, on the days when she wanted to leave and not bother Iruka.

"And where are you going? You know I cant let you off by yourself," he reminded her and she winced.

"Yeah, that may be true but this business I got to do alone." Getting on the bike, she waved. "See ya and don't worry. I wont let you get in trouble with Grandfather."

She left him at the door, paddling her way down the streets as fast as she could. Since she didn't look back, she didn't the expression on Cloud's face. Otherwise, she would have wondered about it.

………………………

"That was kind of immature and foolish of you, wouldn't you say?"

"Aerith, did you know you and M sound the same sometimes," Kyoko muttered while she panted. After riding a bike down Los Angeles evening traffic to a expensive hotel room nearly five meters away, nonstop, her legs trembled with the exertion and exhaustion. It was all she could do to keep standing.

Aerith giggled and moved aside. "Come in. Kiki's just finished making dinner. Join us."

"Well, I shouldn't, but okay." Kyoko followed the older woman inside into what she secretly called the house from hell.

Sure it was nice and richly acquainted with all the fashions of today. But it was stiffening, not the beauty and comfort of Aerith's old home. No flowers, or anything of the plant nature. It made her wonder why the hell did her kind friend even stay with this loser who made her give up who she was.

But there was nothing she could do or say that would change Aerith's mind about the a-hole. Cause really, he was the only one who helped her through the little episode when Aerith's would be boyfriend, Zack was killed in the line of duty. And it sucked even more when he was the only one she told about it.

"I miss your flowers, Aerith," Kyoko whined.

"I do too but you know Keith's allergic," Aerith reminded her gently.

She huffed but stopped in front of a passing room, staring at the closed and apparently locked door. Something inside called to her, something so familiar that it had her scratching her head.

"Um, what's in here?" she asked.

"Oh. It used to be where I keep my piano. But for some reason Jared has told me to stay out of it."

"Huh." Such a simple explanation, yet Kyoko couldn't turn away from it. Suddenly, she lifted her head and tapped Aerith's forehead, making the girl's eyes closed and nearly fall to the floor.

It was such a shame that this is what the last Ancient was like, sort of weak and soft, too fragile for this cruel world.

"Sorry about this, Aerith but I need to know." She placed the young woman next to the door and put her attention on how to open it. Pick pocketing was definitely not her forte unfortunately. She could compromise, though.

Kyoko dug in her backpack and got a gardening pallet. She used it to take off the hinges from the door and lifted it aside. She checked for any lasers or security systems, for she wouldn't put it past that dick Keith to go this damn far. But surprisingly, it was clean; the grand piano was in its place of glory, ready for whenever Aerith was ready to play it.

That still didn't keep her from seeing the door.

Though roughly hidden by large tapestries, Kyoko could still feel the source of the wind. It was locked as well, but it didn't matter. She did the same to its predecessor, only she dropped this one on her foot.

"Ouch! Fuck!" She let it fall on its own, hitting the keys of the piano.

"_Clumsy, as ever."_

Kyoko stilled, and slowly looked up. The unearthly glow from the tank filled the room with blue light. Yet it still did not penetrate the murkiness of the water. It only shifted when the fish inside swam around.

Yet it was enough to recognize the King of the Sea.

"What the hell are you doing here!" Kyoko yelled, pointing a finger at the blue skinned merman within. "Here, of all places. And being that asshole Keith's pet! What did M do to you? I thought you wanted to find your bride?"

Kisame laughed, his sharp teeth glinting in the faint light. _"This is all part of my plan.."_

Kyoko looked around. "Some first step," she said sarcastically. "You're stuck in a fish tank in a secret room inside a multimillionaire or billionaire of an asshole who I want to see him suffer horribly. But we don't always get what we want, huh? Especially since the bastard is being careful."

"_Not enough." _The tone in his voice made her stare at him hard.

"Huh?" she asked weakly.

"_I have not been seen, but might as well have been. She is the one, I'm sure of it."_ Kisame swan to the edge of the tank and looked towards the doorway, past the piano and outside. She followed him and jumped as she realized who was staring at.

"Oh shit…" Kyoko said.

"_Shit indeed," _the shark king agreed. _"For I found my queen but now I have to kill her. Unless, if you will grant me a miracle."_

She sighed and looked down at the tohsu swirling around her hands. "Might as well. I need the distraction."

**A/N: This is what happened at the end of chapter 3. Till next time.**


	3. Kisses

**Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto, PetShopOfHorrors, or KHII.**

**Kisses**

Something was ringing directly by her head, constantly that it quickly became an annoyance. Mumbling in sleepy disarray, Kyoko reached out, fumbling for the phone and nearly dropped it twice before she finally held it to her ear.

"H-hello?" she yawned. Sitting up at the voice, her eyes grew wide as sleep disappeared from them. "M? What-? Calm down. I can barely understand you. Speak slowly."

M repeated his message, no less frantic but at least he had made an effort, speaking slowly for her to make out each word.

The moon chose to break through the clouds, shining its ray of light upon her just then. Kyoko was ghost white, almost as pale as the dead. She began to shake as a trembling smile filled her face.

"Come on, M," she said. "That cant be true. I mean, we're talking about the same guy, right? There's no way he could be severely injured. Hell, he's never lost a fight before!" She paused, as M spoke to her seriously, this time with some instructions on what she needed to do. Kyoko nodded her head with each word and told her cousin, "I'll be there as fast as I can. don't try anything without me okay? I mean it, M! I need to examine first and then we'll do the extreme measures. Don't. Try. Anything!"

She threw the covers off her legs and attempted to dress herself with one hand, pulling up her shorts underneath her night dress, all the while listening to M as he further explained the situation. She grabbed her empty backpack, the one she kept for such emergencies and ran out her room. She made her way down to the kitchen where she kept the stuff from the shop. Her sleek socks made her slide against the tiled floor, making her yelp and flail her arms as she tried to catch her balance, holding onto the wall.

"Is everything all right?" M's worried voice sounded static as she held the earpiece some feet away.

"Yeah, yeah. Just fine," Kyoko assured him. "I guess I wore the wrong socks to bed tonight."

She continued her run, using her sliding feet to reach the kitchen effectively though on the last turn she went too far, her feet slipping and she fell with a loud thump, her body upturn against the wall.

With a small curse and a slight grunt of pain, Kyoko detangled herself slowly. "Yeah," she muttered, replacing the dropped phone back to her ear. "Definitely a bad night to wear them."

The light was on, but Kyoko wasn't too worry about it. The housekeeper, Mrs. Terry or Mrs. T as she liked to call her, was an elderly African American woman and very forgetful in her old age. They often came home finding appliances left on. But that was just part of the old woman's charm.

Limping, she made her way to the aloof cabinet separated from the rest. It was suppose to be a broom closet but she managed to snag it for the shop's personal needs.

"Okay, I'm at the closet. Repeat what you said again." She stilled, shifting through the supplies on the shelves, gathering what she needed. A frame stood out, closed knit together with the boxes of incense. Distracted by its appearance, she pulled it out.

It was a picture of her, M, and one other at Tokyo Disneyland, in front of the ride known as Space Mountain. During the time when she and her twin were two people, young children that have yet to fully comprehend the hierchy of their world, the destiny they were born to. In the picture, they were still toddlers, each hugging the leg of their elder cousin. It had been such a happy time, back when they continued to think themselves human….

Tears abstructed her vision and she faintly made out M's voice, cracking as he voiced his concern by her lack of response. Wiping her eyes, she answered him, "I'm okay, M. And I'll be there as soon as I can. Later, bye." She replaced the frame back on the shelf, gently.

Kyoko hung up and continued her search of supplies, stuffing them in her backpack messily and without any order. Finally all she needed were the scrolls that held the incantations of healing, summoning the Amewarashi, the being of Rain and Healing, which were on the… She looked up, up, and up. The gleam from the box seemed to wink at her from the very top shelf.

Now, Kyoko was no dwarf, but neither was she a giant. There was no way she was going to reach that.

Huffing with annoyance and blowing out her bangs, Kyoko grabbed the nearest shelf plate she could reach and jumped, trying to pull herself closer to the box before gravity made her drop. Her fingers managed to brush the corner, almost pushing it back when her feet landed. Her feet stung as they landed on the floor, and she gritted her teeth in annoyance, both at her weakness and stupidity for putting the box up there in the first place. Hopping on both feet, Kyoko prepared herself for another go, grabbing the shelf again.

"Normal people usually get a chair when they want something they cant reach," someone commented dryly.

She yelped and turned to face her audience. Her cheeks became burning hot, as she was face to face with the undress state of Sephiroth Jenova, the elder brother of Cloud, Kairi and Naminé, and her arch neminsis. Her eyes struggled to stay on his face, each though they yearned to look down, to gawk at that perfectly sculptured bod and tight pecs of his tone torso. It also did not help that his jeans hung _so low _on his hips. She forced herself to relive certain memories and she glared, finally feeling the emotions she wanted, which was embarrassment at being caught doing stupid.

"Chair… right." She hadn't thought of its services or how much it would have made her life better, but there was no way in hell she was going to admit that to him. "Look, I don't have the time or patience to explain to you," she snapped angrily. "Why are you even down here? It's three in the morning!"

"The same could be said for you," Sephiroth pointed out, his emerald eyes taking in her scatterbrained angry expression and hastily put clothes, though they were really just her night gown stuffed into her shorts. He lifted his cup, drawing her attention to the water swishing in it. "I was getting a drink. What are you doing up?"

"None of your business," she drawled, going back to the task at hand and tried again to get those scrolls. Hell, she was prepared to climb the damn shelves to prove a damn point. But the box had disappeared as a warm prescene nearly overwhelmed her and suddenly there it was, hovering over her as Sephiroth held it out to her.

"Thanks," Kyoko grumbled sourly, taking the accursed box and putting it deep into her bag where it had the less chance of flying out. Then she hefted the heavy back pack over one slim shoulder and began to walk towards the front door. "Turn off the light when you leave or I'm sticking you with the bill this month," she warned. When he didn't say anything, Kyoko turned around.

Sephiroth held the frame in those large hands of his, head bowed so his silver hair hid those enchanting green eyes. She suck in a breath. "W-what are you doing?" she whispered. "Who told you can hold that?"

He didn't answer, ignoring her as he turned the frame around before putting it back. "I remember that," he said at last, though not really the response that she had wanted. "You wouldn't stop bragging about how you could ride Space Mountain with your eyes open while Hiro was still afraid. You were such a tomboy back then." He glanced at her. "Still are."

Kyoko dropped the pack and went inside the small cramped closet, forgetting how their bodies brushed one another as she attempted to manuever around him, intent on pushing him out. Since Sephiroth was so much taller and bigger than her, she hadn't expected him to be so easily moved. She closed the door and leaned against it protectively.

"You cant go in here," she warned him. "The rest of this house is yours; hell you can even take my room for all I care. But not this room. Not this closet. Got it? There's a lot of stuff inside you cant touch. If they're ruin, the pets will die. So don't… come near here. That's all I ask." Kyoko didn't wait for anything else. She had wasted too much time and there was someone who needed her. She grabbed her bag and moved past him, not once looking at his face.

An arm wrapped around her waist, stopping her form going any further. "Where are you going?" Sephiroth demanded.

"Weren't you listening?" Kyoko lifted her head to glare at him. Damn him for being so tall! "I have no time! There's an emergency at the pet shop and I have to help M. It's my duty as part co-owner."

"And how are you going to get here? Isn't today Iruka's day off?"

"Very observant, aren't you?" Kyoko sneered. "I bought a bike for that reason."

"A bike." Sephiroth shook his head in bemusement. "You are thinking of going cycling downtown in the middle of the night in your night gown? Wow, and I had believed you to be smarter than this, Kyoko."

"Desperate times calls for desperate measures and I'm wearing shorts!" she struggled. "Let go! I wasted too much time already and every minute counts. I'm not going to loose Gaara because of you!" She tried to break free of his iron grasp.

"Gaara? Isn't that the name of the dog you had back in Japan?"

"He's not a dog! He's a tanuki and let _go!"_ Suddenly, Kyoko lost hold of her back pack as she was lifted up in the air, the vertigo causing her to reach blindly for a hold. Her arms wrapped themselves unconsciously around the man's neck, placing her face embarrassingly close to his as he carried her with one arm.

She stared as Sephiroth admonished her, "Do you really think I'm going to let you go, half naked, downtown on a bike at the dead of night? I promised your grandfather that I would keep you from acting stupid and that is what I will do."

"Ji-ji doesn't say stupid," Kyoko corrected in a daze. "He's too polite for such words."

"You're right. What he really said was rash decisions but you get the point." He carried her up the stairs, dropping her backpack at the foot of them before climbing the steps. Once they reached her room, he set her down carefully, not letting go until he was sure she could stand properly on her own.

"Get fully dress. I'll meet you downstairs," he ordered.

"Wait, you're going to take me?" Kyoko asked incredulously in disbelief. "Listen, it's fine. I know some karate moves and stuff. I'll be alright. Look, I've done it before and I know which lanes to avoid. I'm going to be fine."

Sephiroth gave her that look, the one that made his eyes seem like burning coils of emerald. The one that had always managed to make her to submit to him when they were children. She was annoyed to find out that it still worked as she agreed to his plan.

"Fine," she muttered. "But you better drive fast. I've already wasted too much time with you." Turning, she slammed the door in his face.

………………………………......

Ten minutes later, they were driving downtown on an empty highway. Neither spoke to one another, Kyoko simply too distraught and Sephiroth gave her space to think by not asking questions. She tried her hardest not to look at him, though she wanted to make sure this was the same guy and not just some fake. In the past, Sephiroth was never this nice, always too busy to pay attention to her or Hiro now that he was starting to learn how to take over the companies. Instead, she stared out to the sky, hoping that the storms would pass and her Gaara would be alright. Her hands gripped the handles hoping with all her might that it would be okay.

Tanukis were mythical creatures yet they existed both the human world and the spirit. All were incredibly lucky and loved their drink, particularly saké which gave them a crude self of humor. Their king, Shukaku, loved to played tricks on the Japanese monastries, often passing himself off as a traveling monk.

She met Gaara when he was still a pup. He had been her first animal, the sort she and her cousin learned to deal with as they grew into their positions. As she learned of her true heritage, Kyoko had to also practice taking care of the beasts her family called friends. Gaara had been that learning stone and it had hurt them both deeply when she left for America. But the move had been necessary, for now M held the title of count in their Grandfather's stead.

M needed a helper, and that often manifested as the Dai Yoko. However, the downside was that each generation of Count carried their own Dai Yoko and the last one, being her Grandfather's died a few weeks before. So when M moved to take care of the shop stationed in America, Kyoko had to go with him as his support, the gentle stream that balanced the nightmares her cousin caused. She was the holder of the tohsu, who along with her twin brother, was the gatekeeper between two worlds, the human and the spirit. That is why to change fate, M had to use her power to manipulate the stream of time.

Gaara, the last she heard from him, had become his father's heir and greatest warrior, a prodigy of all the royal tanukis ever bred. Like her, he too moved far away in a land unknown to train with a certain other, though who and why he could never tell her. Still, they maintained their friendship through the bond they forged with each other.

As the car neared the shops, Kyoko bit her lip to keep from crying out in worry and fear. Through their powerful bond, they could feel the other's pain. M had been telling the truth; Gaara had been hurt and hurt _bad._ She couldn't believe the magnitude she was feeling. It made her blood run cold with anxiety and made her restless with the need to go to him. If the tanuki was scary in anything (or everything), it was how he managed to avoid injury in even his most severe battles.

Sephiroth pulled to the curb, where M stood waiting, a silhouette against the glare of the lamplight. His serious and worried expression fainted into mute surprise when he saw her so willingly inside the car of the man she had long ago deemed her enemy. He gave a faint smile, yet his blue eyes were dark with the restraint of his powers.

Kyoko had seen his eyes like that only twice in her lifetime. The first time being when he had to tell her that she couldn't see her parents anymore and the second time when M came to reveal to her that her twin brother Hiro was dead. The deep feelings of sadness, angry, love and envy caused a violent reaction with his powers and if unchecked, could unleash a catastrophe that could destroy many lives.

But he wasn't feeling these emotions for himself. No, what hurt the most was the fact that M was literally torturing himself with sorrow for her, Kyoko, the insignificant cousin who managed to stay alive long after fate proclaimed her dead.

She threw open the car door and rushed out, running past her brooding cousin and into the bustling pet shop. Doors were thrown open in her haste and the animal's solemn greetings as she passed were all like white noise blaring in her ears.

She didn't know the exact room M was keeping him in,; there was no need. In fact, she listen to the instinct that separated her from the rest. The room was beckoning her, the animals that were rushing in and out with used supplies and medicine.

Her bag fell as Kyoko walked mechanically like a robot forward.

"Dama, may we be of assistance?" some of the animals asked.

"The bag," she whispered softly, pausing in her steps. "Take what is inside and get me some surgical materials. Also, a hair band, for my hair. Please." She continued to move to the bed, trying to contain her composure even as her heart clenched with sorrow. The animals bowed and held the back pack, rummaging inside and doing what the materials the bag held required.

He was in animal form, the tawny color of his coat blood red and torn, ragged where wounds continued to bleed. The tanuki were generally a small built creature, but Gaara had always been large for his kind and nearly filled the bed where they had laid him.

His eyes were half open, turquoise peering through the slits black colored lids. Kyoko froze as another onslaught of pain filled her breast, coming from the wounds her beloved animal held. Tears clouded her eyes once again. She held him, lifting his head gently in her arms as she buried her face into his bloodied fur.

"Gaara, Gaara," she cried, and kissed the curve of his check, not caring of how his blood stained her lips. The tanuki moaned, trying to give her an audible response. But instead dark blood spewed instead from his black lips, staining the white of his teeth red.

"I managed to convince Mr. Jenova to let you stay for a few days. I explained most of the situation to him, but not all, you understand," M announced to her as he came inside. "I hadn't known that grandfather had went through such lengths to keep you safe, asking one such as Sephiroth to look after you. Something must have happened to cause concern."

Kyoko did not reply, waiting for the animals to returned with the objects necessary, becoming more agitated and worried with each minute that passed. She felt liquid running down her face, but whether it was blood or her own tears, she did not know.

A comforting hand held her shoulder as Count M gently made her let go, leaving the tanuki to lay on the cot once more. He then held his cousin in his arms, holding away so her favored animal would not see her tears.

"Oh, M," she whimpered. "It's worse that I could ever imagine. We need to call her right away!"

"Sh, I know sweetheart," M cuddled her, not at all minding the tears that drenched his fashionable robes. "I know."

And so, the long hellish night began.

…………………………..

The moment she agreed to the count's plan, Kyoko knew she was crazy. For starters, she hasn't been the best camper ever since the Jenova brothers entered her life. She hasn't been at the house in a week and she had been surprised to find out they had given her a week's leave from work. That must have raised a lot of eyebrows and must have been a bitch to do, seeing how she worked both as Kyoko and Hiro. Her surprise went so far when she found out that she was paid for those days and would no way be docked from her salary. It had been so unbelievable that she had punched herself a couple of times after M told her the news.

But she still questioned their kindness. In her long absence from the house, neither one of the brothers came to see her. Kairi came everyday to visit her at the shop when she could get away from her overbearing father and Naminé had made sure to call everyday. But of the brothers? Nothing!

Kyoko wasn't sure what exactly had M told Sephiroth that night, but he had granted her a week of peace. Like she had predicted, the phone calls had started, some from Japan itself, by snobbish girls that didn't hesitated to "subtly" or "tell it to her straight" how whoever she was, she wasn't good for "Sephiroth-sama" or "Cloud-san". If she bothered to care, it might've pissed her off, like there was anything going on between either of the brothers. Sadly, the only chemistry they were feeling was the one that was guarantee to blow up in their faces and cause a meltdown.

She sighed and unlocked the front door, but before she could open it, the door swung open and she nearly stepped into a huge, silcon filled bust.

"Kyoko?"

Oh crap. Kyoko became instantly annoyed as she came face to face with none other than Tifa Lockhart, the woman who had been a pain in the ass for the last two years.

She raised a hand in greeting. "Hey, slut. How's it hanging?" She turned to the driveway, taking note of the two cars, Sephiroth's black Maybach and Tifa's pink Lexus. "Huh? I don't see Cloud's car here. And I don't see you as the type to just come looking for me, the bisexual crazy person you try to avoid like the plague. So, why are you here?"

"Now, before you anything, I did come here looking for Cloud. Even without his car in the driveway, he could still be here. Also, Mr. Jenova was so kind to let me wait inside for him, but it got late and-"

Kyoko snorted. "Yet that's an amazingly large amount of clevage you're showing to look for someone," she air quoted. "Look, I'm busy and I don't have time to hear your skanky excuses. You were looking for Cloud and Sephiroth let you in. Though, just for the record, today is Thursday and Clous so happens to work on Thursday. Late, very, very, _very_ late. But, that is understandable because no one must have told you before you came here. Though you could have used that Blackberry of yours to call the office, get Cloud's work schedule, and then come over. But you know, a lot of people overlook that so I can understand." She sighed and gave a groan, feeling stress coil and tense up the muscles of her neck.

"Good point. I didn't think of that," Tifa said, nodding at all the points Kyoko had made. "But you forget something. Like what if my phone ran out of battery or I had no service?"

She looked so smug Kyoko wanted to smack her painted lips. Tifa was literally the only girl she felt no attraction towards, only cold, hard anger. Hell, the girl was still a teenager, two years younger than her and the biggest slut in the city. Which was so not cool since she used to be the coolest person Kyoko once knew. A total cutie though a bit tomboyish, with ideals so different than the others Kyoko knew. But then puberty hit and suddenly getting laid by the big shots and letting others know it became her goal. That hurt the most.

But that was humanity, Kyoko reflected. They changed so many times that she found it hard to even tried to like any one at all.

"Right, like I would believe you would keep your phone services down or have your battery dead," she scoffed. She stepped to the side for her to pass, which Tifa did with a slow sway to her hips, flaunting the curves she used to snare her fans.

"Thank you, Kyoko. Once again, it was nice seeing you again. I hope next time, though, you will stay as a _girl _than dress up like a _man,"_ she sneered.

"Hmph," Kyoko grinned. "Sorry, no can do. As long as Hiro lives inside me, I will let my brother do whatever he wants with this body. After all, we are twins; therefore, we were once one person. That alone gives him the right."

Tifa stared at her with wariness. "Freak," she finally spat, shifting away.

"I know, and I'm glad to be it, cause it's who I am. Later, bitch," Kyoko waved and slammed the door. She ignored the bitterness in her throat and proceeded to the foyer.

This was a trivial, petty matter, one that could be discarded of its uselessness. She needed her wits for better things. This encounter didn't matter. A few years more and Grandfather will return. Sooner, actually, when he'll come to check out the claim her cousin had placed. To truly find out if this was right, whether or not the boy was the Pasé of legend. He was easily the Dai Yoko. That much was clear when the tohsu had stirred so fiercely in her being during that brief encounter. It had been like a small bomb going off in her, that it simply took her judgment away.

It took all her strength not to run after him.

This Uzumaki Naruto.

Someone was there, lying on the couch she loved to sit in when she watched movies. She ignored his presence and went straight to the phone, unbelieving by the FULL signal it had been giving.

"Did you guys even bother to answer the phone when I was gone?" she asked incredulously, shifting through the caller I.D. and tried to match the calls to the messages without really listening to them.

No answer. She looked behind her and Sephiroth continued to lay their, his eyes closed in sleep.

Kyoko put down the appliance and walked over the slumbering man. Someone had left the window open, probably Mrs. T in her daily cleaning, and the light shone on him gently, making his silver hair glow unearthly like a spirit.

She frowned. Never in their time together had she ever seen him sleep, or looked so messy. He had always been a being of perfection that she thought it impossible. But there he was, shirt untuck and hair spreah out over the cushions. And such a fast and deep sleeper too. Tifa probably had left five minutes ago and already he was breathing softly.

Then again, they could have done some certain activities that required much energy. She felt like she was going to throw up, though she didn't put past either of them to not do it. Tifa was a slut like that and Sephiroth…

Well people change. It's their nature, whether for bad or worse. The best anyone can do is simply accept it as part of life and move on.

She bent down, eyeing him carefully as she would a sleeping cat. Even during slumber, animals were prone to attack and though Sephiroth has never made any harmful advances towards her, he reminded her of a giant cat with the same threatening presence. One couldn't be too careful. Humans always had the uncanny ability to hurt more than the flesh of the body, but the soul as well.

"You know," she muttered, loud enough for it not to be whisper and he could hear if he was not asleep. "She's been trying to get into Cloud's pants for two years."

"I know."

Kyoko, though sort of expecting something like this, jumped when his eyes opened and flickered towards her, the light from the sun making them literally glow. They were scolding her like a naughty child, which was sort of absurd since she hadn't been near him in a week to cause any trouble.

"You were suppose to come back three days ago," he said.

"Then why didn't you come to get me?" she countered. "Besides, I wasn't planning to leave unti l Gaara was safe. You see, Sephiroth, it's not in my nature to just leave when a patient is still in danger. Even if it takes my entire life, I will not leave a creature alone to die."

"M wouldn't let me see you," he explained. "I had to send Umino on a week's vacation, since your cousin told me no one was to interfere. What were you doing to that dog anyway?"

"Iruka? Crap, I forgot to tell him. Oh well, he'll forgive me. He's the only person I know who'll never change," Kyoko smiled sheepishly.

She grabbed the discarded newspaper lying near the couch and seated herself on top of Sephiroth's abdomen. At his look, she stuck her tongue out and said, "I like this couch and I'm going to sit on it even if you're lying here." She leaned back into a more comfortable position and began to scan the paper.

"Most people would consider this rude," Sephiroth pointed out, though he made no move to remove her from his stomach.

"I am rude. And besides, it's not like I'm hurting you. Your abs are hard enough," she told him, her words trailing off as she came upon an article. Her hands began to tremble as her eyes scanned over the words, until they landed on the featured picture.

Blonde hair, if not longer, and blue eyes that lacked the warmth of his son. This was the man she saw long ago, that day of the black sun. No wonder that boy looked so familiar. He was the son of this man, the long lost son that is, of the widower and most sought after man after the Jenova brothers, Minato Namikaze.

"_Kyoko, I need you to do me a favor."_

She no longer saw it as such. If that man was involved, then she was willing to go along with M's mad plan. She bit her lip and allowed the paper to fall, before shifting her position so that she now lay alongside Sephiroth, only halfway on top of him. She laid her head on his chest, clutching the fabric of his shirt.

"I hate thanking you, but it cant be helped," Kyoko sighed. " I almost lost him. If you hadn't taken me, I would have. So thank you. I owe you a big one."

The man beneath her only sighed. "You don't need to thank me, Kyoko. I would done the same even if you had refused my help."

"Then do me one more favor." She lifted herself up to face him. Taking a deep breath, Kyoko asked him, "I'm going to adopt Naruto Uzumaki as my son, and I need for you to help me protect him."

**A/N: Kyoko never made up the plan to adopt Naruto. It's part of a larger scheme of the Count's. Hope everyone enjoyed this very, very long chapter.**


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